Dr. Lisa Kaenzig Installed as 11th Head of Foxcroft School
MIDDLEBURG, VA — Foxcroft School marked its 112th academic year by installing its 11th head of school, Dr. Lisa Kaenzig, during a September 19 ceremony in Miss Charlotte’s Garden attended by the Foxcroft community, family, colleagues, and friends.
In speaking directly to Foxcroft students, Kaenzig pledged, “My own promise to you is that I will work every day to lead this community where you can take risks, grow strong, and continue to discover the full breadth of your unique voices.”
The event, held in Miss Charlotte’s Garden on the School’s campus, was attended by several fellow heads of school, VAIS Executive Director Betsy Johnson, and Foxcroft’s ninth head of school, Mary Louise Leipheimer. Foxcroft’s 10th head of school, Cathy McGehee, was out of the country, but had expressed her support to Kaenzig earlier in a written letter.
“Standing here fills me with joy and gratitude,” shared Kaenzig, who then recalled the impact of meeting with students during her interview process. “In that lunch with Foxcroft girls, I felt a clear sense of being in exactly the right place, and later that same day, in a quiet moment with my partner, Christine, right here in Miss Charlotte’s Garden, I fully understood what our founder, Charlotte Haxall Noland, envisioned when she spoke of a school that girls would want to come to and hate to leave. That is exactly how I feel today.”
After speaking about her career and lifelong dedication to girls’ education, Kaenzig concluded her remarks with a final reflection: “Miss Charlotte reminded us that we must be brave and dare to dream big dreams, and so we are, and so we do here at Foxcroft. … Thank you for welcoming me and for trusting me. I am so excited to see what we can grow together in this next chapter for Foxcroft.”
Foxcroft Board of Trustees Chair Elizabeth Lester ’88 then officially installed Kaenzig as the 11th head of the school, with the following directive: “I charge you to lead with worthwhile action and feeling, to think great thoughts and share your affection for this place and these people. I charge you to devote yourself to Foxcroft School, a school that is still enduring today because of the support and care given back by its community. I charge you to uphold the school’s mission and to dream big dreams for the girls of Foxcroft and the School, and to always keep the girls at the heart of everything you do. It gives me great pleasure to present you with a Foxcroft ring, which serves as a symbol of our school and a reminder of this worthy charge.”
Additional speakers at the installation included Parents’ Association President Phebe Mason Wahl ’96, Alumnae Association former President Tarin Heilman Horan ’93, Student Head of School Kyla Peterson ’26, Student Vice Head of School Ariana Arana ’26, and Reverend Jason Eslicker, associate rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, who offered an invocation. The evening ended with a reception for attendees hosted by Kaenzig and her family at Covert, the head of school’s residence on campus.
Photos courtesy of Foxcroft School.
Posted on: October 2, 2025